If you’ve thought about using a flashback scene in your writing but haven’t been quite sure where to begin, you’re in the right place. We’ll demystify the purpose of this device in literature, show you how to write flashbacks in your writing, and give you some examples of flashbac...
You might be tempted to save up flashbacks and back story that you did not include in the beginning for the middle of the book. However, even though this is a better place for them, it is important to make sure they don’t take over the middle. The motion of the book should still ...
I found this to be true asa judgeof one of our writing contests here at The Write Practice. The theme, “Let's Fall in Love,” yielded many stories where characters simply “remembered” things that happened long ago. Perhaps they were visiting a cemetery where a loved one was buried, o...
Speaking of getting set in one’s ways — or, at any rate, in one’s worldview — do you remember how at the beginning of this series, I mentioned that one reason that there’s so much conflicting advice out there about how to write a winning query letter is that to the people who...
That’s a very good reason that we might elect to go this route: for the writer who has to throw together a very brief synopsis in a hurry, it’s undeniably quicker to write a pitch (which this style of synopsis is, yes?) than to take the time to make decisions about what is ...
One of the questions I find myself discussing all the time is the issue of character backstory. When do we add it? How much do we add? How much is too much? Too little? Areflashbacksokay? Weave in character backstory in a way that engages readers. ...
Additionally, you should research your genre, including reading a lot of authors in the same sub-genre of thriller that you want to write. 2. Start Right Into the Action Don't waste time at the beginning on lengthy character introductions or scene-setting descriptions. Hook readers immediately...
Novels are fictional stories, but they may be based on historical figures or events. This is what separates a novel from a book: While a book can be any bound piece of writing, a novel is a specific type of book that tells a detailed fictional story. How to prepare to write a novel...
Indirect expositionis when details are revealed through showing, such as in dialogue between characters revealing information; it’s also used to give readers clues though the narrative and the setting, allowing the reader to infer clues about the fictional world. Flashbacks fall into this label too...
Read our guide on how to write about pain in fiction and how it may help you to leverage pain to add depth to your story, differentiate among characters